Title:Organic Substrate Mixes for Potted Plants — Are They a Realistic Alternative?

Author:Kai Lønne Nielsen

pp: 312-314

Abstract:INTRODUCTION

Choice of growing media and nutritional strategy is the greatest challenges when a grower considers changing to organic ornamental production. Potted plants need continued access to plant nutrients during their development. Thus production routines allowing both functional inputs of nutrients before start of plant production and supplemental nutrition with water-soluble organic nutrients during production are needed. The first steps in making an organic potting plant production medium would be to test the available and certified organic growing media on the market integrating the know-how on mycorrhiza, composting technology, and the use of nutrient buffers (e.g., Hansen and Nielsen, 1999; Jensen and Leth, 1998; Nielsen and Rasmussen, 2000). The aim should be to develop uniform, homogeneous, and high quality organic substrates. At the same time water and nutrition technologies should be adapted to the special demands of an organic production, since organically bound